I’m an avid reader and could happily spend hours curled up with a good book.
I was raised in a family where everyone read. My Mum and Grandmother always read before bed/sleep.
My name, Tanith, was taken from a book my Mum was reading while pregnant.
The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley ‘telling a disturbing story of black magic and the occult’ (Wiki)
I’ve just realised that I’ve never read it and I’ve found my Mum’s original on my bookshelf so I’ll add that to the stack.
My name comes from Tanit, Phoenician Goddess representing a Mother Goddess. Queen of Heaven and mother to us all (like I don’t have enough to do ha ha).
I’ll read anything!
I’ll give most books a try. I love Prime Reading library, it’s a bit hit and miss but I’ve found some great authors in there (and some terrible ones). Amazon first reads give me a few monthly suggestions that I wouldn’t usually try. I love a kindle bargain so often try new authors when they are on offer.
I also love my local library. I love the smell of old books and I always wonder who else has read the book in my hands. I’m a visual person so love a good browse and to touch and feel the books. I can’t wait to get back to that!
Book Shops – This is my idea of heaven. I have to avoid these as I could get lost for days, especially if they sell coffee.
I enjoy a range of fiction; ‘who done it’s’, thrillers, beach books, fantasy, witchy type books and books that have a strong message.
I’ve read from my teens. I remember reading It, by Stephen King in the wee hours and a spider plopping onto my pillow scaring the life out of me!
Stephen King and Dean Koontz were my fav authors when I was younger.
Three fiction books have really stood out for me this year.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
I found this book really powerful and would read it again. It is thought-provoking, funny and helps you see life from a different perspective. It’s the first (and won’t be the last) Matt Haig books I’ve read.
Your Second Life Begins when you realise you only have one by Raphaelle Giordana.
This book literally fell off the shelf in the library. It’s not as well written as Matt Haig but I found the underlying messages really good. I even bought it on kindle to reread.
How Hard Can It Be by Allison Pearson.
On a lighter note, if you fancy a funny, uplifting book about a woman in mid-life read this. I really identified with the character and her ‘struggles’. “It’s about finding out who you are and what you need to feel alive when you’ve got used to being your own last priority”
Stories around the Fire
Humans are designed to learn from stories. Many years ago when humans didn’t read or write we would’ve learned by stories around the fire. I’m sure you’ve felt drawn to someone who tells great stories?
We can all tell stories and we tell ourselves stories all day long. It’s the running commentary we hear in our (monkey) minds.
When we learn to listen to what we are telling ourselves and then to tell ourselves a different story that we begin to change our lives.
We can’t expect different results using the same thinking that has got us ‘here’ in the first place.
We have to pull the weeds and sow new seeds in our minds.
To do this we need to listen and question our thoughts and stories. We need to become aware and awake to the unconscious words and beliefs we tell ourselves.
A question I like to ask is “Is it true?”
Once I became more aware of the stories I was telling myself and the language I was using I realised I spent much of my time talking a load of crap!
I would exaggerate situations, ruminate on worse case scenarios, catastrophise, and lie to myself.
I find it quite funny when I catch myself out. I sound slightly mad 😉
Instead of being a bitch to myself for ‘getting everything wrong’ (that’s not true), I laugh with myself and say ‘ha! there you go again’.
That’s all from me ( and the commitee that lives in my head) today.
Big love and HUGE hugs sisters xx